Furniture retailer moves in

DOWNTOWN BURBANK -- For Burbank residents searching for fashionable furniture, shopping options have just expanded.

EQ3, a contemporary furniture store headquartered in Canada, is holding its grand opening today on San Fernando Boulevard.

The 6,500-square-foot space was previously occupied by the bookstore, Book City, and had been empty for almost two years.

In its new incarnation, the building was gutted and remodeled, making way for an airy furniture gallery. Example kitchens, living rooms and dens are set up for patrons to browse.

The store will be a great fit with the area, said Sue Georgino, Burbank’s community development director.

“We’re seeing a resurgence in the downtown area.” Georgino said. “People want to get out of their cars and be in walkable environments.”

The store will be a great resource for those moving in to new residential developments in the area, she said.

Two residential developments will soon add more than 200 residential units to the downtown area.

“The residential developments have great synergy with an upscale, European furniture store,” she said.

The Canada-based company opened its first store in Torrance, but Doug Smith, the general manager of Canuck Holdings, which owns and operates the store, saw benefits to moving to Burbank.

Canuck Holdings is a franchisee of Palliser Furniture Ltd., the creator of EQ3 stores.

Store manager Michael Armstrong cited the atmosphere and traffic flow of Burbank as draws for the company.

“We were in the South Bay, but we got a lot of customers from this area,” Armstrong said. “Burbank is probably a better spot.”

The decision was made easier by a $257,000 loan from the city’s Redevelopment Agency to help finance improvements to the building.

The loan is similar to those made to Porto’s Bakery to open its new eatery in Magnolia Park and to Urban Outfitters toward opening a downtown location.

Smith admits that there will be some overlap with IKEA, which is nearby, but he maintains that the smaller, intimate atmosphere will be an advantage.

Although the store has been open for business since December, Smith decided to wait until now to hold the grand opening celebration.